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Friday, January 24, 2014

Left wing Joe Whitney admitted he had a hard time falling asleep Thursday night in anticipation of making his NHL debut tonight with the Devils against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center.

“It’s exiting,” Whitney said after today’s optional morning skate. “A lot of hard work over the years is paying off. It was tough sleeping last night. I’m really excited for the opportunity tonight.”

Whitney, who will turn 26 on Feb. 6, will play on the Devils’ top line with Travis Zajac and future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said. “I’m playing with some good players tonight and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Whitney will be replacing rookie Reid Boucher, who played on that line the last two games before being sent down Wednesday.

Devils coach Pete DeBoer said there will be no other lineup changes. Cory Schneider will start in net for the sixth time in eight games again Michal Neuvirth for the Capitals. Defenseman Jon Merrill and centers Jacob Josefson and Andrei Loktionov will be healthy scratches.

Whitney, who is generously listed at 5-foot-6, 170 pounds, was leading Albany with 16 goals, 20 assists and 36 points in 40 AHL games before he was called up. The Devils are hoping his game will be a good fit with Zajac and Jagr and provides a spark overall.

“Any time you call somebody up, you’re looking for some energy,” DeBoer said. “I think with him, he’s a similar player to the kid we’re sending down, Boucher. He’s got some offense. He’s led that team in scoring down there and, hopefully, it works. You never know, but we’re going to give him an opportunity. He’s earned it.”

Whitney said, “I like to play a fast game, quick to loose pucks and compete hard all over the ice and win as many battles as I can. Also get pucks to the net and create some offense.”

Whitney, a Reading, Mass. native, said his wife, Angela, father, John, and mother, Cheryl, will be here tonight for the game along with some other “friends and family back home.”

Whitney traveled a difficult road to get to this point. He was undrafted out of Boston College and attended the Devils' prospects development camp in 2011 as an unsigned tryout before earning an AHL contract. After leading Albany in points the last two seasons, he signed his first NHL contract last summer. Now, he finally gets to make his NHL debut tonight.

“I never gave up," Whitney said. "I always believed that I would be here."

Jagr said he has been talking to Whitney about what to expect and trying to help him fit in on the line as quickly as possible. Jagr says there is pressure to produce when you play on the top line.

“I know it’s not easy for them to jump in and play on our line,” he said. “Our line has to score, so it’s not like the fourth line where you dump it in and go get it. We’ve got to make plays. That’s our goal, that’s our job to do. I understand it’s not easy for them, but on the other side I’ve got to put some pressure on them to make some plays.”

Jagr said there are challenges that come with playing on the top line because the opposing team will take defensive measures to try to control you.

“You’ve got to make an adjustment to who you play against,” he said. “I’ve said it many times. This is like a chess game. If you’re a No. 1 line or top two lines, you’re going to face the best defenders on the opposite team and it’s not easy. But you have to produce no matter what. You’ve got to find a way and you’ve got to change your game. Sometimes it will work this way. Sometimes it will work other ways. So, you’ve got to kind of adjust and talk to the linemates.”

Jagr and Zajac went from playing with Dainius Zubrus, who is listed at 6-5, 225, to Whitney, who is roughly a foot shorter. Jagr said Whitney can still be effective at his size.

“Of course, if he can play,” Jagr said. If you have skill like Marty St. Louis, it’s no problem. They look alike, so let’s see what happens.”

***Capitals right wing Alex Ovechkin, who leads the NHL by a wide margin with 35 goals, will miss his second game in a row with a groin strain he sustained against the Rangers on Sunday. Before it became clear that Ovechkin won’t play tonight, DeBoer said his absence wouldn’t change the Devils’ game plan too much.

“He’s obviously you spend time preparing for, but they’ve got a lot of depth of offense outside of him and I think you’d be making a mistake if he didn’t play of not respecting that,” DeBoer said.

***After the Devils enjoyed their best goal output in their 7-1 win over St. Louis Tuesday, they’d love a repeat of that tonight, but know expecting that is not realistic. They are hoping, however, that being at full strength up front after the returns of Ryane Clowe (concussion), Patrik Elias (groin) and Damien Brunner (right MCL) from injuries, will help them produce goals more consistently.

“In reality, we need another goal a night,” DeBoer said. “I think that’s what we’re looking for and you’ve got two thirds of a top six back with Elias and Brunner back, hopefully healthy and playing at their level. So, I’m assuming that’s going to provide us that extra goal a night we need as long as we can keep our defensive foundation.”

The Devils ranks 26th in the NHL in averaging 2.39 goals per game. DeBoer believes there is the potential for more goals from his team when it is healthy.

“It’s there,” DeBoer said. “I think it’s in the group to provide that. I’m not looking outside to get that. I think it’s in the group if we can stay healthy and, again, we have to keep our defensive foundation. That gives us a chance every night.”

***While the Devils’ power play has been improved of late, scoring three goals Tuesday and producing at least one goal in four of the last five games (6-for-15), the penalty kill remains consistently good. Their PK ranks second overall at 86.5 percent and second at home at 91.9 percent (six goals against on 74 times shorthanded).

“Even back to two years ago, we set a record for penalty killing percentage (89.6 percent),” DeBoer said. “It starts with your goaltending. When you’ve got goaltending like we have, it gives you a chance to be successful in that situation. And you know what? Our 5-on-5 play is based around structure and I think our penalty killing is too and the guys buy into that and I think that helps.”

***DeBoer on whether he intends to call Boston College coach Jerry York to thank him for all of his former players on his team (Whitney, Schneider, Stephen Gionta and Peter Harrold): “Yeah, I wonder if he’s got any that are 6-2 or 3.”

About

TOM GULITTI has covered the New Jersey Devils for The Record since 2002. Prior to that, he covered the New York Rangers for four years. Gulitti joined The Record in 1998 after six years at The North Jersey Herald News. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric-Literature.